Finally Understand These 11 Popular Expressions

This expression comes from the 17th century. It refers back to the Native American custom of burying a hatchet or tomahawk in the ground to signal peace between warring groups.

John Dennis, an actor manager in the 18th century, invented a machine that reproduced the sound of thunder. Dennis was angry when another production company used the sound and apparently said: “Damn them! They will not let my play run, but they steal my thunder!”

The highest and cheapest seating in a theatre is called the gallery. The least wealthy members of society would sit there so the expression means to appeal to popular taste.

Many opera singers were well-endowed so this expression was used to reassure someone that there was still time for a good singer to sing during an opera.

“Yob” is a type of back-slang (words are spelt backwards as a code) and just is “boy” spelled backwards.

This expression is from a translation of the Book of Job. Job is subjected to trials by Satan and is finally relieved by God. So this expression means to “narrowly” or “barely” escape a disaster.

Moneylenders and traders in the 17th century would conduct their business on benches outdoors.

These three languages were developed from Latin. Historically, “romance” means “of Rome”.

“In a nutshell” means to sum up something in a concise way. Cicero, a Roman philosopher witnessed a copy of Homer’s poem the Illiad that was written on a piece of parchment that was small enough to fit inside the shell of a walnut.

An apple of discord means “a cause or subject of strife or dissension” and comes from the mythical tale of Eris (goddess of discord) who threw a golden apple inscribed with ‘for the fairest’ at the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, which sparked a dispute between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite.

This expression became popular in the 1960s after there were many innovations (like sliced bread) after the Great Depression.

Source: Oxford Dictionaries